Kanwaljit Singh disagrees with Naseeruddin Shah calling Amitabh Bachchan “Businessman, not an actor: “I call him the God of acting, but we can’t say that for Bachchan sahab” : Bollywood News

Veteran actor Kanwaljit Singh has responded to Naseeruddin Shah’s recent statement about Amitabh Bachchan, where Shah referred to him as a businessman rather than an actor. Speaking to Hindi Rush, Singh expressed his disagreement with Shah’s opinion while acknowledging his stature in parallel cinema.

Kanwaljit Singh disagrees with Naseeruddin Shah calling Amitabh Bachchan “Businessman, not an actor: “I call him the God of acting, but we can’t say that for Bachchan sahab”

Kanwaljit Singh, who is receiving praise for his performance in Mrs, defended Amitabh Bachchan’s acting skills. He said, “No, no, I have great regards for Mr. Bachchan. I think he is a very fine actor.” While he respects Naseeruddin Shah’s viewpoint, Singh explained that Bachchan's contributions to Indian cinema cannot be dismissed.

Parallel Cinema vs. Commercial Success

Reflecting on the differing paths taken by Bachchan and Shah, Kanwaljit Singh highlighted how the era of parallel cinema shaped careers. He called Naseeruddin Shah ‘lucky’ to have found his niche in serious, art-house films. “Naseer was lucky to realise that he wouldn’t be cast in commercial films because that was the time when people were making parallel cinema. If those kinds of films weren’t being made, then what?" Singh remarked. He further added, “Naseer is my jaan, I call him the God of acting, but we can’t say that for Bachchan sahab.”

The conversation around Amitabh Bachchan's legacy in cinema is not new. Over the years, Naseeruddin Shah has been vocal about his opinions on mainstream Bollywood. In a 2010 interview with NewsX, he had stated that Sholay—considered one of Hindi cinema’s greatest films—was entertaining but not great.

On the work front, Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in Kalki 2898 AD and Vettaiyan, both of which performed well at the box office. Naseeruddin Shah was recently seen in Fateh, a 2025 release starring Sonu Sood.

Also Read: Naseeruddin Shah SLAMS Bollywood for “sickening films” celebrating hyper masculinity: “It’s scary to see how much approval such films get from the common viewer”